Peaks to 1,868 m and 2,254 higher plants: the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve

Background

The Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve is located at the southernmost end of the Western Ghats in southern India. UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme records its year of nomination as 2016. It covers 3,500 square kilometres and encompasses tropical forest ecosystems within the Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari districts of Tamil Nadu and the Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts of Kerala. Its peaks reach 1,868 m above sea level. The reserve hosts 2,254 species of higher plants, including about 405 that are endemic, and is a unique genetic reservoir of cultivated plants, particularly cardamom, jamun, nutmeg, pepper and plantain. Three wildlife sanctuaries, Shendurney, Peppara and Neyyar, are located within the site, as well as the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve. There are a number of tribal settlements in the biosphere reserve that rely largely on biological resources for sustenance.